|
Ogoni Prisoners Accues Shell's Private Police of Torture In the same week that Shell unveiled a new report promising to balance profits with principles, 20 Ogoni detainees have accused Shell employees of serious human rights abuses. `Profits and Principles - does there have to be a choice?' [Published April 15th] was presented to shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of the Royal Dutch/ Shell Transport & Trading Group, held in London on May 8th. The report aims to evaluate the combined effects of Shell's financial, social and environmental performance. Shell invites the public to 'Tell Shell' what it thinks about its ethical performance through reply-paid cards and the Internet. In a letter smuggled out of their jail cell, the Ogoni 20 are calling for immediate action to force Shell to implement the recommendations of the recent UN Human Rights report on Nigeria [In the UN Special Rapporteur's report on Nigeria, presented to the United Nations Commission of Human Right's 54th Session, held in Geneva on April 15th]. The report makes specific reference to Shell's role in rights abuses occurring in the troubled region of the Niger Delta, where it has operated since 1958. In the letter which MOSOP has obtained, the detainees say they are: `happy to hear that the report [...] made clear that the environmental devastation in Ogoni caused by Shell has received little attention. We want to let the world know that Shell's complicity in our present situation has similarly received little attention. Two of us Messrs. Kagbara Bassee and Blessing Israel were infact arrested by Shell police at Benson waterside, Oron in Akiwa Ibom state on 14th June 1994. After torturing and detaining them in Shell custody for 5 days without food or water for them they handed them over to the Internal Security task force' [The Rivers State Internal Security Task Force is a combined Nigerian military operation, currently occupying Ogoni]. `We believe now that a United Nations report has come out to vindicate the case of the Ogoni people, we call on Shell to honour its commitment to human rights, and its promise to balance principles with profits'. [A full transcript of the letter is attached]. The Ogoni 20 face the same charges of `conspiracy to commit murder', the same violations of their human rights in prison, and the same trial by military appointed tribunal which sent MOSOP President Ken Saro-Wiwa to the gallows in November 1995. According to the 'Profits and Principles' document, Shell were 'shaken by the tragic execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa'. Shell believe they 'acted honourably' but add that 'the conviction that you are doing things right is not the same as getting them right. For us at least, this has been a very salutary lesson'. Shell's role in human rights abuse in Ogoni has been the cause of increasing international concern since Saro-Wiwa's murder. The renewed scrutiny of Shell's record in the UN Special Rapporteur's report - and the evidence of Shell employee's torture of Kagbara Bassee and Blessing Israel - will be a major setback for the oil company in its attempt to improve its tarnished reputation. The Special Rapporteur's report repeats claims that:
Responding to the Special Rapporteur's report, MOSOP's Acting President Ledum Mitee remarked: 'If Shell is serious about its commitment to balance "principles with profits", it must act immediately to comply with the recommendations of the United Nations Special Rapporteur'. 'We hope Shell will now listen to the demands of the Ogoni people and balance principles with practice'. OGONI FILE: Letter from the Ogoni 20 calling for Shell to implement
the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur's report on Nigeria [presented Nigerian Prisons Service, `Dear Sir/ Madam, TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN By some means we received the news that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Nigeria, in his recent report highlighted our plight by calling for our urgent release. We are also glad to hear that the report also called for urgent steps to be taken to protect the rights of the Ogoni people. Furthermore, we are also happy to hear that the report also made clear that the environmental devastation in Ogoni caused by Shell has received little attention. We want to let the world know that Shell's complicity in our present situation has similarly received little attention. Two of us Messrs. Kagbara Bassee and Blessing Israel were infact arrested by Shell police at Benson waterside, Oron in Akiwa Ibom state on 14th June 1994. After torturing and detaining them in Shell custody for 5 days without food or water for them they handed them over to the Internal Security task force. We believe now that a United Nations report has come out to vindicate the case of the Ogoni people, we call on Shell to honour its commitment to human rights, and its promise to balance principles with profits. We support the UN reports call for an independent agency to be set up in consultation with MOSOP to investigate the environmental damage caused by Shell. We call on Shell if it truly has nothing to hide to commit itself to a truly independent audit. We also call on the world to impress on Shell to comply. We also call on Nigerians and the international community to put pressure on the Nigerian government to stop stalling the legal proceedings for our bail'. We are: [Copies of the original hand written letter can be obtained from MOSOP's International secretariat] Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), MOSOP Nigeria: 20 Station Road,
Port Harcourt, Nigeria Tel./Fax. [+234] 84 230 250 International secretariat: Suite 5, 3 - 4 Albion Place, Galena Road, London W6 0LT,
United Kingdom. MOSOP mobile [+44] 7887 536 774 (urgent & media inquiries only please) e-mail: MOSOP International secretariat mosop@gn.apc.org "Lord take my soul, but the struggle continues" -- Ken Saro-Wiwa, the gallows, November 10th 1995. 'Ogoni is a land of half a million people in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Since 1958, oil companies such as Shell have exploited Ogoni's oil wealth, while the Ogoni people have suffered economic deprivation, the environmental devastation of our land and the discriminatory policies of successive Nigerian governments'. 'The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People demands economic justice, human rights - including the right to choose the use of our land and its resources - and to a future free of violence. MOSOP is the democratic voice of the Ogoni people'. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
